Demilitarization of rockets and rocket launching systems such as the M26 MLRS refers to the destruction or removal of all hazardous components of the rockets and rocket launching systems. To do this requires first removing the rockets from the storage tubes of their storage tube pods (a pod contains 6 storage tubes). This can be done from the aft or forward end of the storage tube.
In the case of aft extraction, current methods utilize a clamp attached to the rocket restraint lugs and a retractable cable connected to the clamp. As the cable is retracted the clamp pulls the rocket out of the aft end of the storage tube. The problem with this method is that a substantial amount of work and time is required to remove ancillary items in/on the rocket storage tube so that the rocket will be clear to slide from the storage tube.
In the case of forward extraction, a current method uses an expandable collet which is inserted into the orifice on the forward end of the rocket fuze, for example an M445 fuze, and then manually expanded inside a cavity inside the fuze. Once expanded, the collet is too large to slip back through the orifice and so is locked into the cavity. A cable is then attached to the collet and as the cable is retracted the collet pulls the rocket out of the forward end of the storage tube.
Due to the difficulty of aft extraction, forward extraction is currently the preferred method. However, there are two problems with forward extraction. First, as a collet is repeatedly used, the expandable fingers on it permanently deform. When this happens the collet no longer has the capability to lock solidly inside the fuze cavity. This allows the collet to slip out of the fuze orifice when the extraction cable is brought under tension. The collet then becomes a flying missile endangering personnel in the area. The second problem relates to the dimensional tolerances used when the rocket fuzes are manufactured. As with any manufactured item, the exact dimensions of the fuzes, and the orifices thereof, vary from part to part by the allowable tolerances specified. This allowable variation in actual orifice diameter from fuze to fuze creates a situation where at times the expandable collet is too large to fit into the fuze orifice and at others it is too small and will not expand enough to lock into the fuze. In either case this leaves the demilitarization process with no viable means to remove the rockets from their storage tubes.
Thus, there is the need for a reliable, repeatable, safe device and method for removing rockets from their storage tubes, for demilitarization of the rockets.